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Parly urged to fight against corruption

PARLIAMENT must resuscitate the African Parliamentarian Network Against Corruption (Apnec) to investigate corrupt officials in an effort to help weed out the vice, Senator David Chimhini said on Wednesday.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

The Eighth Parliament does not have the Apnec.

Chimhini lamented widespread corruption and said Apnec should be revived and also called on authorities to empower the Anti-Corruption Commission to do its duties without the Executive’s interference.

“I am calling upon this august House that we resuscitate it because it was an opportunity approved by Parliament that we have an organisation of Parliamentarians that would resuscitate Apnec and start looking at corrupt activities and find solutions so that once there is a corrupt activity, it is exposed and people take action.

“We must start, as Parliamentarians, to lobby for action,” Chimhini said in his contribution to a Senate debate on a motion on corruption.

Zimbabwe is rated among the most corrupt countries in many surveys ranking corruption trends worldwide.

President Robert Mugabe has attacked corrupt officials in the country, but opposition parties accuse him of being insincere as top government officials, who have been named for their corrupt practices, still hold public office.

In February, Mugabe disclosed that nearly $15 billion in diamond revenues had disappeared.

Senator Lillian Timveos said arresting corrupt officials was a necessary deterrent if the country is to successfully fight graft.

“I think there is need for us to investigate where the money was taken to and then we bring to book those who abused those funds.

Knowing that the people have been brought to book will also help people to understand that as a nation, we are serious in dealing with the issues of corruption,” Timveos said.

Senator Hilda Bhobho argued the august House had a significant role to play in fighting graft.

“We were put in this august House to be the eyes. You came into this House to come up with measures to ensure that we reduce the level of corruption,” Bhobho said.